Ime Uwah is a retired French teacher and Principal in southern Nigeria with plans.
“Solar Sister has helped me have a sound footing after retirement,” Ime says.
A Solar Sister customer first, Ime purchased a lamp and two clean cookstoves in 2015. She started sharing the advantages of solar lights and the clean stoves with friends, fellow teachers, and others she met. Ime thought, “well, since I am telling everyone about the value of these lights, I will become a Solar Sister Entrepreneur.” She joined in 2018, the same year her husband passed away. Now she had more time available for the work, and the additional income was significant padding to her Principal’s salary.
When Covid hit in 2020, Ime decided she wanted to build her business, so she enrolled in Solar Sister’s second year of more advanced business training.
“I have a mind for helping people. This work allows me to bring light to people.”
Ime often gives lights as gifts. Friends see the lights in action and come to buy from her. She donated a light to a maternity house, which drew attention from the new mothers, nurses, and visitors. She gave a lamp to a new mother as a baby gift.
“The mother later came and bought a stove.”
Ime loves the freedom that comes from readily available light and has several home systems, each comprised of three lights.
“We used to buy rechargeable lamps, but they did not last long. It was really stressful because you never knew when one would stop working. Solar light was really a new dawn for us. Charging your phone at home is another delight”, Ime says.
Ime retired from the school in 2021 and continues to grow her solar light business. Starting as a customer herself makes it easy to sell the lights.
“I’ve had my home system since 2019. Electricity bulbs don’t last that long.”
As we sat on her sofa and talked, we could hear strains of music in the background. I asked Ime about that, laughing, Ime said, “Oh, my youngest son has a Sun King Boom. He listens to the music all the time.”